After State Action, Chhattisgarh High Court Closes Suo Motu PIL Over Child Electrocution Deaths

Following effective State action, the Chhattisgarh High Court has consigned to the records a suo-motu Public Interest Litigation concerning the recurring instances of electrocutions caused on account of unauthorised live-wires, which resulted in the loss of human lives, cattle and wild animals.

The suo-motu PIL was initiated in 2025, in response to two alarming incidents of electrocution of children reported in an English daily. The first report related to District Kondagaon, where a two and a half year-old child died after coming in contact with a live-wire inside a local Anganwadi Centre. The child, while playing inside the Centre, collapsed immediately after receiving a severe electric shock. The report further stated that repeated complaints were made to the concerned authorities regarding exposed wires, damaged switches, and unsafe electrical fittings in the Centre, however the same had remained unaddressed.

A Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Ramesh Sinha and Justice Ravindra Kumar Agrawal remarked that the news report “depicted a very sorry state of affairs prevailing in Anganwadi Centres and rural areas. The Anganwadi Centres were meant exclusively for children, and parents left their wards there with hope and trust that the Anganwadi Workers and Assistants would take proper care of them.”

Regarding this incident, the Chief Secretary had informed the Court that a departmental action was taken against the concerned Anganwadi staff, statewide safety directions were issued for inspection of electrical installations in all centres, and an ex-gratia amount of Rs. 1,00,000/- was granted to the bereaved family.

The second report related to the electrocution of a six year-old child, who died after coming into contact with an electric wire while playing in a field near his home in Village Kargikala. It was reported that the electrocution was caused owing to the negligence of the field owner.

Regarding this incident, the Chief Secretary had informed the Court that the landowner had illegally used a jerk machine connected to wired fencing, leading to the child's death, and an FIR under Section 105 of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) was registered. The power distribution company had also issued multiple directions and memos to prevent recurrence of such accidents, including inspections and action against illegal connections, and an ex-gratia amount of Rs. 4,00,000/- was sanctioned to the mother of the deceased child.